Apparatus for driving pile shells



' 3 E. D. WATT 2,050,215 7 APPARATUS FOR DRIVING FILE SHELLS Filed April5, i955 2 Sheets-Sheet l V BY. At v 36 ATTORN$ Aug. 4, 1936.

E. D. WATT APPARATUS FOR DRIVING FILE. SHELLS Filed April 5, 1953 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 4, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEAPPARATUS FOR DRIVING PILE SHELLS Application April 5, 1933, Serial No.664,517

3 Claims.

This invention pertainsto the manufacture of concrete piles in which thethin, comparatively delicate shell used as a permanent mold for theconcrete is surrounded and protected during the driving operation by aheavy tubular casing which is subsequently removed. A similar method forprotecting the shell is shown in Smith Patent No. 1,890,268, whichdiscloses the method in connection with the formation of the uppersections of composite piles.

An object of the present invention is to extend the use of the Smithmethod to other and more difficult situations.

One method now in use for forming concrete piles by the use of aprotecting casing comprises the following steps:

1. Driving a protecting casing by means of a driving core (a sheet metalboot is usually placed over the lower end of core and casing).

2. Withdrawing the core, leaving the casing in the ground.

3. Inserting a permanent thin shell into the casing.

4. Filling the shell with concrete.

5. Withdrawing the protecting casing.

In the above process, when Water or mud leaks past the sheet metal bootinto the casing, the concrete is deposited through such water or mud,thus impairing the quality of the job. The protecting casing cannotsafely be withdrawn until the shell is filled with concrete becausewithdrawal of the casing would almost certainly dislodge the empty shellfrom its proper position.

This makes it necessary to keep the driving and hoisting apparatus inposition until the concrete is poured, or else to return the apparatusafter the pouring, in order to remove the casing. Since the pouring ofthe concrete takes considerable time, the driving and hoisting apparatusis tied up for considerable periods of waiting when it might otherwisebe profitably employed, thus adding greatly to the cost of the work.

In the present invention the boot is attached not to the casing, but tothe permanent shell, thus preventing entrance of water or mud, and meansare provided for holding the empty shell in position while the casing iswithdrawn, thereby obviating the necessity for any lost time in the useof the driving apparatus.

Further and other objects and advantages will be apparent from thespecification and claims, and from the accompanying drawings whichillustrate what is now considered the preferred embodiment of theinvention.

Fig. 1 shows a shell, casing and driving core at conclusion of drivingoperation.

Fig. 2 shows the core and easing of Fig. 1 partially withdrawn leavingthe empty shell in position in the ground.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the lower part of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a modification of Fig. 3 in which thecasing is shorter than normal, thereby leaving the lower end of theshell exposed.

Fig. 5 shows a modified form of the upper end of the apparatus, aremovable ring being inserted between the drive head and the top of thecasing.

Referring to Fig. 1, the pile shell, designated 2!], is provided at itslower end with a welded-on sheet-steel boot 22. In actual practice shell20 is, for convenience, often threaded into a sleeve 23, which is inturn welded to the boot (Fig. 3). The hollow drive core 24 within theshell is joined at its upper end to the drive head 26, while the casing28 is provided at its top with a ring 30 having hooks 32 adapted forengagement by links 34 hanging from the drive head. During the drivingoperation collar 30 is in contact with the under surface of the drivehead, and after the driving is finished, hooks 32 serve as convenientmeans for engaging the casing to withdraw it from its position about theshell.

Forming the lower end of drive core 24 is a shoe 36 having its lowersurface formed to fit the inner surface of boot 22. The boot isprovided, near its top, with a circumferential bead 38, and above thehead is an angle ring 40, fitted as shown, snugly around the top of theboot. The bottom of casing 28 engages ring 40 as shown, and the ringserves, during driving, to prevent entrance of material between casingand shell. During driving, ring 40 serves also as a plow in advance ofthe casing.

After the driving operation is finished as in Fig. 1, the drive core andcasing may be withdrawn together as indicated in Fig. 2, leaving shell20, boot 22 and ring 40 in place. During withdrawal, any attempt ofshell 20 to follow the casing and core is usually prevented byengagement of the surrounding earth with ring 40, which in turn engagesbead 38 on the boot.

In case the resistance of ring 40 is not suflicient to prevent the shellfrom following the core and easing during their withdrawal, thearrangement shown in Fig. 4 may be used. In this modification the casing28 is shorter than usual, leaving exposed a portion of the lower part ofthe shell above the boot. Since the exposed portion is subject toabrasion during driving, that portion is made of thicker metal thanusual, or the exposed part is reinforced by an external sleeve 42 whichmay be threaded onto shell 20 and, as shown, may be welded to boot 22.The top of sleeve 42 is preferably uncorrugated as at 44 to bettercontact with angle ring 46, which, like ring 40, serves to close thespace between shell 20 and casing 28, but unlike ring 40, does not needto project horizontally beyond casing 28 because in this modificationthe ring is not relied upon to engage the earth to prevent rising of theshell. The rising is prevented by engagement of the earth with theportion of the shell below ring 46,

Fig. 5 shows a modification of the arrangement of Figs. 1 and 2, inwhich, prior to driving, a removable collar 98 split as indicated bydotted lines 99 is placed between drive head 26 and casing collar 30.After driving of core, shell and casing is completed, collar 98 isremoved to permit driving core and shell (without the casing) to anadditional depth equal to or less than the height of collar 98. Thisaffords a convenient means for testing the point resistance. This extradriving causes the lower end of the shell to emerge from the casing, andunder some conditions provides sufiicient anchorage for the shell (alongthe lines of Fig. 4) while core and casing are withdrawn. Since theshell is protected by the casing during the entire driving operationuntil collar 98 is removed, the bottom of the shell is subject toabrasion only during the final driving and does not require theextensive reinforcement shown in Fig. 4.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificembodiment herein illustrated and described, but may be used in otherways without departure from its spirit as defined by the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for sinking into the ground a pile shell having a boot,comprising in combination, a drive head, a drive core attached to saiddrive head, a casing surrounding said core and spaced therefrom, andmeans for detachably connecting said casing to said head for the purposeset forth.

2. Apparatus for sinking into the ground a pile shell having a boot,comprising in combination, a drive head, a drive core attached to saiddrive head, a casing surrounding said core and spaced therefrom, andremovable means interconnecting said head and said casing in spaceddriving relation.

3. Apparatus for sinking into the ground a pile shell having a boot,comprising in combination a drive head, a drive core attached to saiddrive head, a casing surrounding said core and spaced therefrom, aremovable split sleeve interconnecting said head and said casing inspaced driving relation.

ELIHU D. WATT.

